


The Fate of Miss Fortune

by caterinawrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gabe is an ass, Lots of drinking, Minor Character Death Later, Pirate AU, Red String of Fate, Sexual Tension, Suggestive Themes, blood mentions later, not a dark fic but pretty dark, not super violent but they are pirates, pirate talk, sad backstories galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-05 00:20:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15852414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterinawrites/pseuds/caterinawrites
Summary: Ladybug was the most famous pirate on the sea, the scourge of the king's navy, and the love of Chat Noir's life. For years she eluded him until one fateful encounter with the navy leaves her shipless and on a mission to seek revenge against the admiral. As they learn to trust each other, they discover that the red strings of fate are often times inescapable.





	The Fate of Miss Fortune

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING! I've had this idea for so long, and I even had a good chunk of this chapter written, but I finally decided to sit and finish it and put it out into the world! I commissioned art of Chat Noir and Ladybug's designs that you can find on my tumblr (purrincess-chat) if you search my tags for pirate au. I had two lovely pieces commissioned that turned out amazing, and I'm so excited for this AU!  
> I will be updating the tags as I go, I just kind of added somethings that I knew off the top of my head. If anything triggering happens, which I don't think it will, then I'll be sure to include warnings in the tags and in the notes at the beginning of a chapter. This isn't entirely a dark fic, but it's gonna be pretty damn dark at times. Don't let the first chapter fool you.   
> Let me know what you think! I wanted to take a different spin on pirate aus because I know that pirates and mermaids are popular together, but I wanted to shake things up a bit and make them both pirates and also not put them together right away. Their relationship is going to be very different in this fic at first, so hopefully you enjoy it! I do have a mermaid AU with the two of them as part of another fantasy series I'm doing, so if you're interested in that just click on my username and look for 'A Merman's Heart' in my other works. I'm planning another mermaid AU later too, but the love square isn't the super center stage of that one, but I don't wanna say too much :)   
> This fic is going to be an emotional rollercoaster full of angst and humor and at times tragedy, so I hope you will all take this ride with me!

Chapter One

“There be tales of the most fearsome pirate ever to sail the seas. Sunk o’er a hundred vessels and taken the lives of countless men. A captain and crew so bloodthirsty that no sailor ‘as e’en the slightest chance of survivin’ should they be unlucky enough to cross canons with ‘em.” It wasn’t uncommon for tales such as this to pass around the room of nearly every port bar from one sailor to the next. Legends and tales were how many passed the time, each seemingly more far-fetched than the last, though many stories, if taken to their roots, were actually based in truth that became victim to drunken embellishment.

 “I seen ‘em with me own two eyes. Captain Ladybug ‘o the Coksinelle and ‘is crew took down a royal navy ship ‘fore tha poor chaps could load their powder. Biggest bunch o’ men I ever did see. Could rip the neck right off a navy cap’ains shoul’ers,” The man continued, a small crowd of similarly grimy and roasted men hanging onto every word in awe. All save for one.

“There’s a problem with your story, mate.” Heads swiveled to the smug mop of blond hair seated a few seats down at the bar, the telltale French naval coat with the sleeves ripped off and black hat could only be the mark of one pirate: Captain Chat Noir.

The night was humid and the air inside the bar hung stagnant as Chat Noir loaned an ear to the scrappy drunkard’s tale from his seat. He’d heard every story passed by mouth, and there was only one pirate on the waters that each of them referred to. The most famous pirate in the world, and coincidentally the one who set him on his own path to freedom.

_Ladybug._

 Most of the stories were true, though many details were often lost in translation, but Chat took it upon himself to keep an ear out for sightings of the elusive captain that he spent his days chasing in hopes of someday actually succeeding in his pursuit. Which, unfortunately, forced him to suffer through tales such as these in vain hopes that he might gain any new information, and more often than not, he came up empty as many pigheaded pirates twisted the stories to better suit their own egos.

“What’d ya say, chum?” He cocked a brow, standing in attempts to seem more intimidating, though his rum-induced stagger killed some of his bite. “Ye got a problem with my story?”

“Parts of it,” Chat stated, taking a swig from his mug and setting it on the counter.

“Do go on then,” The man urged.

“For starters, if no man has any chance of survival when confronted with this ruthless captain, then how are you here to tell the tale?” He began, standing to face the group all adorned with the same skeptical and disgruntled expressions. “Secondly, Ladybug is captain of the ship _Coccinelle._ It’s French given the captain’s roots and translates to ladybug, the name said dreadful captain has come to be known by. Thirdly, Captain Ladybug and crew are all bloodthirsty for naval ships specifically and tend to avoid merchants and other pirate ships which is why I forgive you for missing my last and arguably most important point: Captain Ladybug as well as the entire crew are all _women_.”

Loud, mocking laughter filled the surrounding area, something Chat had grown used to at this point, and he did his best to suppress an eye roll. Pirates were just as blind to the strength of women as naval officers. Turns out men were all the same no matter what colors they sailed under, which made the next sequence of events all the more predictable.

“You’re drunk, mate! No crew o’ women could sail a vessel all by their onesies.” One man laughed.

“You’re right, my apologies. I should have known better than to waste my breath educating you disgusting chauvinist pigs as you’re all incapable of any form of intelligent thought outside of lifting your mugs to your lips,” He said with a taunting grin, slapping a silver coin down on the bar. “Nino, pull Kim away from his girlfriends. We’re leaving.”

“Aye, captain,” Nino said with a nod, though he shot Chat a disappointed, yet unsurprised frown as if to say, “Can’t we enjoy one night out without you starting shit?”

“Oi, what’d you jus’ call me?” The first man demanded, reaching for the bottle on the counter. “You lookin’ for trouble, mate?”

“No, truthfully I’m on a quest to find that said fearsome _female_ pirate from your entertaining, albeit horribly incorrect, tale, and I haven’t got the time to sit around listening to egotistical little worms talk themselves up,” He stated with a shrug, and Nino rolled his eyes.

“Here we go again,” His first-mate mumbled with a sigh, reaching for his cutlass as the man sprang at Chat with a growl.

The bar erupted into a drunken mosh-pit, fists flying as fast as insults as several inebriated men joined the fray just for the hell of it. Kim attempted in vain to entice his throng of women to stay, shooting a glare to his captain when they all fled, and Chat easily dodged his assailant’s fist, knocking him over the back of the head with his elbow and rendering him unconscious. Nino tossed another man over a table, stepping closer to his captain and shaking his head. 

“What?” Chat asked innocently.

“For once I’d like to enjoy a couple beers without the evening dissolving into a fist fight,” He chided, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah, and I’d like to get laid,” Kim growled, stalking over. He grabbed another man who charged toward them and punched him square in the jaw.

“Let’s just go,” Chat said glumly, sulking toward the door.

“Ivan!” Nino called as their large brute of a friend fought off three men at once. “We’re leaving.”

Ivan shrugged and dropped his hold on his victims, leaving them in a daze as he casually sauntered out after his captain and crew. One convenient aspect of bar fights were that most individuals were too drunk and fixated on their brawl to realize when they slipped out, even as Chat pickpocketed the man who started it all on his way out. He shoved his hands into his pockets with a sigh as they made their way down the street toward the docks. Kim sulked several paces ahead of them, griping about losing yet another potential ménage à trois while Ivan patted his shoulder sympathetically. Nino eyed their captain out of the corner of his eye, pursing his lips to hide his frown.

“Another dead end then?” He asked, cocking a brow, and Chat averted his gaze. “How long do you intend to chase her?”

“As long as it takes to find her- the rest of my life, if I have to,” Chat said solemnly.

“You sure are hellbent on this booty call,” He replied, tensing when Chat shot him a glare. “Sorry but that’s what most of the crew thinks.”

“I’m not after her for sex. She saved my life, and I just want to see her again, no matter how briefly,” He said softly, and Nino shifted his gaze to his feet, biting his lip.

“You know you’re my best mate, and I’d die for you, but you can’t keep blue-balling Kim every time you don’t get information you want,” He said, offering him a small smile and prompting a cheeky grin and a chuckle from Chat.

“I’m not so worried about him. He still thinks I don’t know what he and Max get up to in the supply room, but I suppose in the interest of keeping things amicable between us I’ll do him this favor,” He said, whistling over the two women standing on the corner and tossing them a small pouch of gold coins. “The one in the red coat could use a little pick-me-up.”

Their eyes widened as they turned their payment over in their hands, excited giggles passing their lips as they skipped down the hill and grabbed Kim by the collar. Chat sauntered onto the dock toward the ship followed by Ivan and Nino, and Nathaniel hopped off the railing as they approached, standing at attention as the captain set foot on deck.

“Nothing unusual to report, sir. The rest of the crew is still out in town. Shall I round them up?” He said dutifully, but Chat waved him away.

“Let them enjoy the night. We’ll set out in the morning,” He said, pushing the door open to his cabin. “Resume your post.”

“Aye, captain.”

Chat hung his hat on the hook and ruffled his hair, a sigh passing through his lips as he leaned over his map littered with pins and threads that documented every location sailors reported seeing her in a vain attempt to discover her pattern, but he’d had no such luck. So many times he’d come so close to finding her only to lose the trail at the last moment. She was surprisingly elusive, much to his dismay. It had been three years since he’d last seen her in person, the night he asked to join her crew, but she only sailed with women. He’d been crushed by her rejection as he’d spent months hunting her down just to ask that question, but now he sought after her for a new reason.

She was the most magnificent woman he’d ever met with eyes as blue as the sea and hair as dark as the night sky. He longed to see her again and memorize every detail of her face even if she never held any desire for him… Perhaps his crew were right. Maybe he was running a fool’s errand, but he refused to give up. Not after all of this. He trailed his fingers along the red strings with a pensive frown before leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up.

Nights like those were exhausting, and sometimes Chat wondered if he’d ever see her again if he had to keep relying on such inconsistent tales. He closed his eyes painting the image of her face in his mind so that he wouldn’t forget a single detail. A girl like her was worth chasing to the ends of the earth, and soon he lulled himself to sleep with thoughts of their reunion.

***

“Captain!” Chat jerked awake, drawing his gun and pointing it in Max’s face instinctively before releasing a breath and returning it to its holster. He glanced out the window where the first cracks of sunlight were peeking out over the horizon.

“What?” He asked sourly, rubbing his eyes.

“Sorry to wake you, sir, but I have someone with information that might interest you,” Max said, and Chat’s head snapped to face him in an instant.

Chat followed on Max’s heels intently as he led the way to the library with Ivan, Nino, and Theo in tow. He kicked open the door, startling the librarian inside into dropping the books he was carrying. The man straightened his glasses and squared his shoulders, though his eyes widened in fear as they approached.

“You! You have information regarding a pirate named Ladybug?” Chat demanded, leaning into his face.

“I’m not inclined to say,” He said, shrinking back a little and startling once more when Chat pointed a gun in his face. “Okay, okay! My younger sister recently joined her crew a-about a week ago when she was in port. Said they were making a quick stop south of Puerto Rico then setting sail toward Bermuda before she left, but she swore me to secrecy!”

“And you’re sure it was Ladybug?” Chat quirked a brow, and the man nodded frantically.

“I saw her colors myself, and my sister specifically mentioned that this pirate sails exclusively with women which matches up with stories I’ve heard,” He said, and Chat lowered his gun.

“What’s your name?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Jalil, sir,” He said, adjusting his glasses with a shaky hand.

“Nino, Ivan, bring Jalil aboard. He’s coming with us, and if his information proves false then we’ll find a nice island to maroon him on. Max do you still remember how to get to the one infested with cannibals?” He snapped his fingers, and Jalil paled, resisting only minimally as Nino and Ivan lifted him up and carried him back to the ship.

“How long do you anticipate it will take us to reach Bermuda from here?” Chat asked as they walked, and Max tapped his chin.

“About three days if the winds are favorable,” He replied, and Chat nodded thoughtfully.

“Then there’s not a minute to lose. Nathaniel!” Chat called as they boarded, and the redhead stood at attention. “Round up the crew. We’re setting sail.”

“Even Kim?” Nathaniel’s nose wrinkled.

“Do you want to man the guns if we get attacked?” Chat asked pointedly, and Nathaniel groaned, sulking off to retrieve their gunman from his tryst. “Max, get me a heading! We’ve got a Ladybug to catch.”

***

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this fired up,” Nino remarked a couple nights later as Chat peered through his telescope.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a lead,” He said, lowering it and glancing over at his first mate.

“Do you really think we’ll find her?” Nino cocked a brow, and Chat’s eyes narrowed into a glare.

“For the librarian’s sake, we better,” He said with a twisted grin, and Nino gave him a look.

“You and I both know you’re not that cruel, mate.” He smirked, and Chat turned back to scan the dark water.

“I know, but he doesn’t, so it’s fun to watch the color drain from his face,” He said darkly, and Nino threw his head back with a laugh.

“Maybe you are that cruel.” He patted his shoulder.

“Ship sighted to the east, captain!” Nathaniel called from the crow’s nest, and Chat whipped his telescope out as the crew rushed to his side.

“Is it her captain?” Ivan asked. “Is it Ladybug?”

Chat squinted at the colors flying, a semblance of a smile twitching on his lips as he snapped his scope shut. “Douse the lamps and ready a boat.”

“It is her!” The phrase passed excitedly around the deck as his men rushed around frantically to carry out his orders.

“Do you think you can catch up to her in this thing?” Nino asked as Chat climbed into the small rowboat and took hold of an oar.

“The main sail is raised, and she’s just coasting. Her crew has likely gone to bed for the night,” He said. “Raise ours and follow at a distance. If she spots us, she might run. You’re in charge until I get back, Nino.”

“Aye, captain.” Nino nodded curtly as Ivan lowered the boat. “Oi, Chat! Good luck, mate.”

Chat tipped his hat as the boat hit the water, and he unlatched the ropes before beginning his trip. Fortunately the night was still and the waters calm as he paddled, and within a half hour, he was close enough to see her standing at the wheel. Her hair was longer than the last time he’d seen her, and his pulse quickened as he set the oars down gently so as to not make a sound and tied the rope to his waist loosely before beginning his climb up.

He peeked up at her from under the railing, a small smile curling on his lips as he watched her studying her compass, occasionally glancing up at the stars. Her cheekbones were more pronounced than last time, and his memory did her beauty no justice. He could have stared all night, but he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t speak at least one word to her, so he climbed up, tying his rope off quietly before making his move.

“Greetings, m’lady! I hope you haven’t missed me too much.” His voice caught her off guard which was something even the lowest swabbie on her deck knew never to do. She spun around as his leg hiked over the railing, but before his boot could touch the deck, she tugged the loose rope hanging from the mast that laid at his feet and dragged him into the air.  He yelped in surprise as he found himself hanging upside down and face-to-face with Ladybug’s unamused scowl. “Have I ever told you, you turn my world upside down?”

“Captain Chat Noir. How many times need I tell you that men are forbidden from setting foot on my vessel unless they wish to decorate it with their blood?” She stated bluntly with a small sigh.

“If we’re counting honestly, this is only the second time I’ve tried,” He said pointedly.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you,” Ladybug retorted with a bored frown, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Because I brought you a gift,” He replied with a cheeky grin, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small jewelry box. “I stole them from a duchess in Spain.”

“How romantic,” She said sarcastically, lifting the lid to reveal a pair of diamond earrings.

“A beautiful woman deserves beautiful things.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes, snapping the lid shut. “You know, you should really pay attention to the stories people are telling about you. There are a lot of details that people get wrong.”

“I don’t particularly care what others say about me,” She said with a shrug. “I didn’t become a pirate for the fame or glory.”

“Me either.” He said, and she held his gaze for a long moment. “I’ve been looking all over for you, ya know.”

“So I’ve heard,” She said with an amused smirk, looking him up and down as if she were sizing him up. “Captain Chat Noir, the pirate on a desperate quest for a piece of ass.”

She chuckled as his eyes narrowed into a glare. “That’s not true!”

“Now who needs to pay attention to their stories?” She asked teasingly, leaning down into his face and causing his breath to hitch when she traced his jaw with her finger. “So why do you spend your days tracking me, Chat Noir?”

“Because you set me free and I am in your debt,” He said gently, pouring every ounce of sincerity and tenderness into his expression, though such feats proved hard with the blood rushing to his head. “And I long to know something.”

Ladybug cocked a hip to the side, leaning against the rope and quirking a brow. “What would that be?”

“Four years ago you attacked my naval fleet. Killed all of my men and sank every last vessel to the bottom of the ocean. You saw me floating on a piece of drift wood and chose to let me live,” He recounted. “Why?”

“Why what?” She shrugged. “Why did I sink you fleet? Because I hate the navy. Why didn’t I kill you?” She paused for a moment and pursed her lips. “You were just a kid playing captain, and I don’t murder children. I do have some sense of decency, you know.”

“I know. It’s one of the many reasons I admire you.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes, flicking the wheel sharply and causing the sail to shift. She released her hold on the rope, effectively flinging Chat into the water then paced over to the railing and leaned down with an amused glint in her eye as Chat resurfaced.

“Farewell, Chat Noir. Until the next time you find me.” She waved.

Chat watched in awe as she retrieved her sword and sliced through his rope before swimming back to his boat. He laid on the floor, panting and adorned with the widest grin. Ladybug remembered him. She knew that he was searching for her. She smelled like flowers.

Ladybug returned to her post at the wheel, restating their course before pulling out the box of earrings Chat had given her. She eyed them for a moment, trailing her fingers over the gems before snapping it shut and looping a rope around one of the rungs then heading below deck.

“What was all that ruckus?” Alya asked, meeting her halfway on the stairs.

“Just a dazed little kitten who tried to sneak on board,” She said nonchalantly with almost a hint of boredom.

“Chat Noir?” Alya’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You’ve been giving him the slip for years. He finally caught up to us?”

“I let him,” Ladybug admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s no fun to let him chase us if he gives up, so I suppose I’ll let him ‘catch’ me from time to time to keep his spirits up.”

“You are wicked, lady. That poor boy follows you all over the world because he fancies you, and you dangle just out of his reach,” Alya laughed, stopping short as Ladybug tossed her the earring box.

“Not me. He got those just for you. Said so himself. I think it’s you he’s after,” She said, passing her down to the lower deck as Alya opened the box with an eye roll.

“Most women would be floored if a man brought them a pair like this,” Alya commented with a prying tone Ladybug knew all too well. “We raid countless ships with gorgeous earrings, yet you’re so attached to the ones you’ve got.”

Ladybug touched them thoughtfully, pausing at the base of the stairs for a moment before turning back over her shoulder.

“They’re lucky.”

 

 


End file.
